Teens should stop and think about actions

Loss of a child is a parent's worst nightmare and my heart and prayers go out to both families of the two teenagers killed last Monday at Kalaeloa. I must also state that bad choices made by teens being where they should not be, doing things they should not be doing, is no reason to blame and point fingers at the state.

The statement of one parent to all the area teens to "grow up" is touching and true. Stop and think. It could be you.

Louis Vierra
Haiku, Maui

Young victim touched those who knew her

As one of many band students at Kapolei High School, I felt compelled to respond to a recent article on the Kalaeloa car crash. I've read numerous reports on the accident in the past few days, and the fact that some sources couldn't confirm the 18-year-old woman's identity made it seem so unreal to me that she was indeed a friend of mine.

The story on Friday mentioned briefly what made Tanya a unique individual and memorable to those who met her. Knowing that readers will have a little more insight on Tanya than just her name and age, it made me feel like she was being justified as a real person to those who never knew her. If only people knew what it was like to be around her and how Tanya's smile was incredibly contagious ... Sometimes words aren't enough to express emotions. There will never be anyone like her. I miss her dearly, and send my deepest sympathies to her family and loved ones.

I also wanted to express my gratitude not only to reporter Leila Fujimori, but also to those who are investigating the accident and working to prevent something like this from happening again. Although the crash could have been impeded, I see no use dwelling on what should've been done. There is no way to change what took place. We can only move forward to make the future safer for others.

Joan Quiba
Kapolei

State, do something about all these pigs

Your July 21 editorial is correct that the pigs need to be controlled, but when? I scoff at Manoa's problem, which as you reported snagged 37 pigs in 2 years. At my Aina Haina home the pig hunter is now up to 13, just in my backyard! This has got to stop and the state needs to do something new.

I lived there for 13 years with no pigs and now I have 13, with others that have gotten away. Let the pigs pay property taxes!

Tim Lyons
Aina Haina

HECO should invest more in wave energy

At $80.00 a barrel, we think that our state's utility officials would be a little bit more aggressive on renewable energy, yes they do have a little program going on with some wind farms or biomass and solar system, but those people needs to take a plane and fly to Portugal or Scotland where wave power energy is coming to life or is in service for few years already in Islay and Faraoes.

The Wavegen project in Scotland and the Pelamis project in Portugal are the perfect examples of creativity and it is what Hawaiian Electric is missing at the moment.

In Hawaii we have the waves and the Portuguese could help us use this energy that is clean, has been here for 20 million years and will be here for another 20 million, if we take care of it.

Let's get on it before a tanker crashes on our coast and spill 200,000 tons of crude oil. The technology is here now. Let's jump on it.

HECO officials, it is time to trade your Chevron and Shell golf partners, go try some new golf courses in Scotland, and go talk story. You will find out that now there is an end to the oil dependency.

Guy Belegaud
Honolulu

Watada takes oath for U.S. seriously

The Army screwed up.

When 1st. Lt. Ehren Watada learned that the Iraq war was started illegally, he decided it was more important to uphold the Constitution of the United States than to kill or be killed for George Bush in that war against an innocent people who posed no threat to this country.

Everyone seems to know that he has offered to resign his commission. But he also offered to be sent to Afghanistan, where we were fighting the terrorists who attacked our country on 9/11.

The Army should have accepted that offer, re-assigned him to a unit that was being sent to the war on terror instead of the Bush/Chalabi Iraq War. That would have ended the problem for both sides.

Now, the Army is required to try the patriotic and courageous young American soldier in a court-martial. Among the facts that will emerge is that he, like the president and members of Congress, took an oath to uphold the Constitution. He took that seriously; most of them didn't.

Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, our servicemen are required to follow all "lawful" orders. That does not include blindly following an errant president into an illegal war.

Watada is correct; Bush is wrong. And the Army screwed up.

Keith Haugen
Vietnam veteran
Honolulu

We don't need U.S. version of God's party

I was heartened to read in David Broder's July 27 column that some members of the GOP are tiring of President Bush's constant catering to the religious right. It's as if Bush thinks the Republican Party is "The Party of God." The Arabs already have a political party by that name. In Arabic it is called "Hezbollah."

All these people who think that they (and only they) know God's will are creating hell on earth for the rest of us. It is time we put a stop to the nonsense. In the United States, we all need to do our homework -- and vote.

J.B. Young
Honolulu

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